Conversations with the Inspiring Carla Chavarria

Today we’d like to introduce you to Carla Chavarria.

Carla, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
Arizona’s political landscape in 2011 was a bit rough, 1070 had just passed, prop 300 was still in the back of my mind and I had just graduated high school. I was presented with two life choices. 1. Swim 2. Drown. I knew that my parents had worked too hard for me to pick the second option, so I chose the first one. At 18 years of age, I had no idea what I was doing, all I knew was that I needed to work, needed to be involved in my community and that I wanted to be more than what were my options at the time. I was one of the lucky ones, I had studied graphic design in high school so, I did that.

I started to freelance in 2012 and it quickly became something that I did full time. 6 years later, I have lead various projects locally and nationally, employed both citizens and DACA recipients, traveled cross-country to work on projects using my creative skills.

I have been fortunate to not do it alone, I have had an amazing support system from family, friends, and strangers who believe in me. I could not have done that without them, that I am positive about.

Today, I am in a place where I feel confident in the work I have done and the clients who I have served and I am eager to work with so many more exciting clients/projects.

Clients go from Non-Profits, For-Profit Businesses, Political Issue based campaigns.

Has it been a smooth road?
It’s been the most non-linear road ever. I think that my advice is to just do things, even if you mess up, that’s okay. Sure, it’s nice to make it or to achieve a goal but the best part will be the struggle. there is a quote by the artist J.Cole that I live by and its “Beauty in the struggle, ugliness in the success.” The best part of your success is your struggle, your journey through the hardships. It makes you who you are. learn to embrace that but also do not make it your best friend.

So let’s switch gears a bit and go into your business story. Tell us more about the business.
I am creative. I use creative thinking and design to find ways to find the narrative of a product, person, place or issue. I am proud to say that most of the projects I have taken on have been projects that I am passionate about and that I get to collaborate with amazing people who I learn from. What sets me apart from others is the collaboration and the people who I bring in with me to work on projects. Usually, they are amazing, women or men of color which not a lot of people can say that, especially in a white, male-dominated, elite industry such as design/business.

Looking back on your childhood, what experiences do you feel played an important role in shaping the person you grew up to be?
My mother is in the cleaning industry and the people who she worked for had a larger than life personality, life, houses, cars, etc… I was very fortunate to have been exposed to this type of lifestyle since young and I knew that If those people could have that type of lifestyle that I could too. When I mean larger than life, I do not mean what the mainstream media talks about/shows. I mean people who have businesses, investment properties, etc… I know because of that, that there aren’t any limits, sure there is obstacles and hard work has to be put but if you are smart then you can achieve anything. For me, it’s art, design, storytelling, interaction.

Contact Info:

• Website: carlachavarria.com
• Phone: 480.479.5222
• Email: [email protected]
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/carlachavarria/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/carla.chavarria.94
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/_IDREAM_

Image Credit:
Shaunté Glover, Diego Lozano

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